the begining of the end
by Tsumiden
Summary: pre movie verse events leading up to the war
1. Chapter 1

AN this is kinda the jumping off point for repairs, its pre movie verse, and tells in my mind the begining of the lord high protecter's madness. there wil lprobralby be some OCCness but this is way before the war after all.

i still own nothing but the plot bunny

Part 1 birth of a prime

the city was in full celebration mode, mechs and femmes were celebrating the sparking of their Prime's sparkling. only one mech seemed put out by the celebration and stood alone on a balcony looking up at the darkening sky. he was pleased that his sparkmates were happy, how long had Elita wanted to have a sparkling? Orns at the very least. As he stared out at the stars he heard someone come up behind him and looked to see his sparkmate approaching looking quite overenergized. a cube of high-grade in one hand.

"Shouldn't you be in there with Elita?" The large silver mech asked raising one optic ridge at his mate.

"You should be too." Optimus informed him. "We've been trying so long to give her this."

"I needed some air." he explained. "Your excuse?"

"She's surrounded by other femmes," Optimus sighed, he was happy, he had sparkmates, they had their first sparkling he hoped the dimness in Elita's optics would fade now.

"So you hid?" He took the cube from his brother and downed it himself.

"Chromia and her three not to mention Ironhide and Ratchet in progenitor mode is scarring." he explained.

"It would be." Megatron agreed. The three were an odd enough trine but add in the twins and Hound and it was quite scary.

"And this is why you two are out here?" the higher sweet tones of their femme bondmate came from behind both of them and they looked at her. She stood there, her lovely rose colored armor looking soft in the dim light, she was beautiful.

"Where's Hotrod?" Megatron asked seeing her arms empty of the little orange bundle.

"With Chromia, the twins wanted to see a real sparkling, Hound saw those two and don't worry if anyone can handle a sparkling it's Chromia." There was an odd light in her optics for a second. Both of her mates moved to comfort her.

"Elita?" Optimus' deep baritone voice carried a note of concern. While Megatron wrapped one arm around her waist.

"I'm fine really." she told them. "Hotrod's healthy and online and at the moment the most cared for sparking on Cybertron and if we don't get back in there we might lose him to Chromia and her brood." she laughed and her two mechs followed after her.

They found their little sparkling not with Chromia but with Prowl and his mate. Jazz held the squirming sparkling while Prowl spoke with the twins.

"No you can not keep him." the black and white mech told them. Holding the little orange sparkling expertly, while he wiggled to trying to get to his progenitors whose sparks were close but not with him.

"Why not?" Sunstreaker the yellow one asked.

"He's not yours." Optimus said from behind them and the two jumped before the younger of the two clung to Optimus' leg.

"Optimus he's cute can't we trade you for Hound?" Sunstreaker asked.

"Hound is older then you and no you can't I don't think Chromia or Elita would like that." he told the twin trying to pry him from his leg.

"We would, thank you Prowl, Jazz." Elita took her sparkling from the younger mech.

"You are welcome Elita." he smiled, no doubt remembering his own in such situations, Prowl and Jazz already had three sparklings and two of them were at the academy. The third and youngest was somewhere among the partygoers.

"Yeah reminds me o' our trouble makers." Jazz agreed "makes me miss those days."

"Right Soundwave and Blaster were bad enough, Bluestreak is too much like you." Prowl told his mate.

"Yet looks just like you."

They wandered away from the bickering pair who no doubt would be making up later and joined the throng of other mechs and femmes who wanted to see the little thing.

_Are you okay? _ Elita asked over their private line to Megatron.

_This should be private Elita a celebration just between us three and our sparkling._ He answered.

_It will be after this we can vanish for a few orns I'm sure the others can handle things for that long_ she told him then turned to greet an older mech and show off the sparkling.

_I know I can not wait._ he answered as one of his men stopped to talk to him.

"A wonderful little creature sir." Shockwave spoke quietly.

"Yes, obviously since his heritage is as fine as it is." he said dismissively. The other mech bothered him slightly. He passed him to catch up with the other two. Yet another femme had stopped Elita. Firestar, he noted, a vivacious femme with five progeny between her and her sparkmates, Inferno stood behind her and no doubt Redalert was around somewhere with which ever of their brood they had brought.

The celebration that had spilled out into the city streets was finally calming after orns of Cybertronians had congratulated their beloved leaders in the god fortune the three could finally return to their home with the little sparkling who was already deep in recharge by the time they did.

Elita left him in his little berth and joined her mates on their own.

"he is so cute." She smiled as she slid between the two mechs.

"He is, apparently he takes after Optimus." Megatron murmured with a slight smirk.

"Since you were never cute." Optimus agreed.

"No I was not."

"Recharge both of you." She said calmly stroking first Optimus' face then Megatron's

"Is that an order?"

"Yes it is."

AN- like it hate i? wiant me to write the next part or just get baclkpt the present story?

coments are aprreicted and begged for


	2. Chapter 2

AN part 2 of the beginnings, this chapter is dedicated to Witch08 and Elita1Angel for their reviews encouraging me to wrote the next part. Yes there are some technical things I will explain in later chapters.

Beginning of the end Part 2: Storm warnings

"Are they both alright?" The Lord High Protector growled as he looked over a report brought in by one of his trusted men.  
"We found Starscream sir but the other one is missing." The seeker responded, "He is with his brothers at the moment recovering."  
"Recovering?" that made the silver mech look up, one of the two finest deep space exploration teams was almost lost and he had not been told that the survivor was still injured.  
"He looks like someone tried to rip him apart and his sensors recorded a terrible plasma storm."  
"He should be in the medical sector." He informed the seeker.  
"He is sir with his brothers they have not left his side since he was brought in."  
"Has Dreadwing been informed?" The three seeker's progenitor would not be happy he was already annoyed his oldest would rather be a scientist than a proper seeker but to know he had gotten himself injured would not be a fun meeting.  
"He has sir."  
"Good." He dismissed the seeker and turned back to his work.

It was close to the celebration of Primus traditionally that meant a change of the guards who stood with the Prime. This time there were alot of good candidates. He could only choose one out of the nearly thirty that had applied and passed Ironhide's scrutiny. As usual the mech had ordered them according to various things from attitude to discipline. Not surprising the top of the pile held one particular mech who was very quickly making news as a tactician and hand to hand expert. He would be Megatron's first choice for this kind of duty. He should have left the job to Ironhide the old mech knew good guards when he trained them himself. It was the lord high protector's job to protect the prime and to uphold his laws. He'd done it since he was put in the position his placement one of physical strength rather than predecessor's choice like Prime's. This on his processors he summoned the younger mech to his office. He would have to look him over before deciding if he was a good choice.

The young black and white mech entered at his summons. A medium sized mech he was built like most defense types those who were made for fighting if it was necessary but did not have to fight. The typical build for the job after all. He'd passed out of the Academy with top marks he wore the red chevrons which marked his placement in the Defense Force which protected their people from the normal problems of any sentient race. Glancing at the files he nodded to himself.

"Prowl, I expected you to be in this position the last time this event arrived."  
"There were complications with my mate." He said simply. There was no need to explain those words.  
"I see, this time though you are the best candidate."  
"Thank you sir." he saluted.  
"Of course, you should make yourself ready as the ceremony is in only a few breems."  
"Yes sir." he saluted and left heading for his own quarters in the nearby city. Taking alt mode to travel faster hoping to catch his mate if he was at their home.

Jazz was practicing when he arrived, music fill the rooms of their home like it did whenever the smaller silver mech was in the middle of his work. Jazz was a musician and a good one. He was often asked to play for those higher up in their government. There were plenty of mechs and femmes who had no clue why the bouncy musician attracted the quiet tactician but then there were times Prowl asked himself why Jazz chased him for so long himself.

The music paused as Jazz saw his mate and jumped up to embrace him. Prowl returned the embrace automatically.

"Prowler ya back already though the Lord High Protector himself wanted to see the defense force?" Jazz drawled.  
"He did, he was choosing the next guard for the Prime." he hid his smile as his mate's optics brightened.  
"Oh yeah, gonna be playing that too have a whole bunch of songs picked out Blaster said he'd help me with this one." he said with a smile. "So you got it right?"  
"What makes you think I got the position?" Prowl asked raising a brow ridge at his grinning mate.  
"Your doors are standing up so strait it should be hurting your back panels, you have that look that means if you were any mech but my Prowler ya would be grinning so huge it'd split your face plates and of course you got it you're the best." His mate told him snuggling up to his chest, as that was as high as he could reach on his taller mate. Unlike Prowl whose body type was for fighting and defending. Jazz's body type was smaller and faster typically racers or workers Jazz had gone for music and excelled, as he seemed to do at anything he wanted. Making friends with the next prime in the academy and even catching the most annoyingly dense mech in the history of Cybertron as his mate. All in all he was sure Primus had blessed him for some reason.

"Yes I got the position I will be taking it as Barricade stands down in a few Breems at the ceremony."  
"Well then ya should be getting all cleaned up." Jazz dragged him towards their wash rack.  
"And your music?"  
"It's fine. After all can't have my oldest friend thinking I don't take good care of my mate now can I?"  
"I guess not." he chucked. Jazz could really get his way when he wanted it.

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The celebration was held at the dome of Iacon, which housed the AllSpark, the great spark. as many of Cybertron's people as possibly could fit there and travel to the city arrived to see the ceremony and celebrate the planet shifting slightly in it's orbit on most other planets it would be the rotation of the year but on Cybertron it happened within centuries.

The lord high protector and the prime stood side by side at the base of the cube their guards below them. Elita stood off to the side with Hotrod in her arms watching along with all the others in rapt attention as Optimus spoke retelling the story of their creation for the assembly.

After the retelling was the ceremony for the changing of the guard. Barricade stepped forward bowed to his leaders and stepped aside for Prowl who had silently joined them. The mechs were similar in looks though Barricade was bulkier their colors were the same. Both nodded to one another as they switched places.

Once the ceremonies and such were over the party itself began. Music played as they wandered amongst themselves mingling.

While Optimus walked among the people talking with many of them, Prowl trailing in his wake. Megatron watched it all from the dais where the cube stood. The large silver mech was following the Prime's progress calmly standing there knowing that many of the others kept looking up at him and simply knew they were safe as long as he stood there. There was a sound and some one touched his arm turning slightly he saw Elita. she was smiling and still holding the sparkling like it was glass.

"Elita." He greeted putting an arm around her waist and pulling her closer before stroking Hotrod's head.  
"Megatron, I'm going to put Hotrod in the nursery with the other little ones." she infomred him quietly.  
"Alright." He leaned in and kissed her before patting the small orange mech and letting her slip away to wander out of the dome.

Optimus had stopped to talk with Ironhide and his mate Ratchet, the medic was one of the finest and everyone was sure he would be chief medical in the city some day.

"So Ratchet you said you had some news." Ironhide said as he handed a cube of energon to Prime.  
"Yes from Wheeljack apparently one of his students has made it very clear he wants to be his mate."  
"A student? Is that a good idea?"  
"He's almost out of the academy, his names Perceptor a true scientist as well."  
"Is he as bad?"  
"I don't think he's blown anything up." Ratchet chuckled.  
"What about your two?"  
"They are still in the Academy though I would rather one learned medical they both have their own ideas, Sunstreaker wants to be an artist and he is good at it while Sideswipe's decided he will be a professional racer."  
"Racer?"  
"I don't know where they got the idea and I don't want to know." The medic said dismissively.  
"Better then Hound out with those survey teams, everytime there's reports of a disaster Chromia's beside herself with worry." Ironhide muttered.  
"Like you're any less worried."  
"I know my progeny is fine." The black mech growled.  
"Of course." Optimus said hiding his smile behind the cube of high grade.  
"Don't start Optimus, just wait until your little glitch is old enough to move under his own power." Ironhide told his friend.  
"I'm sure he'll be trouble it's in his circuits but until them I think I'll enjoy what I have,"  
"It won't last long." Prowl agreed.  
"You have a few yourself eh Prowl?" Ironhide smirked, the younger Mech nodded.  
"Three Ironhide, and you know those twins are nothing but trouble for my youngest."  
"The three of them do get along well don't they?" Ratchet said finishing his cube.

"Yes, " Prowl still wasn't sure if it was such a good idea or not. To let his youngest spent time with the two trouble makers but he was happy and neither Prowl or Jazz could tell him no about anything.

AS they spoke Jazz joined them. he slid an arm around his mate's waist and handed him a cube of energon.

"Hey guys couldn't help seeing ya'll gathered over here."  
"Hello jazz."  
"Jazz."  
"Looks like you've been enjoying yourself."  
"Of course you know music's my first love sorry Prowl."  
"That's fine Jazz I don't mind being second." Prowl kissed the top of his mate's helmet.  
"Get a berth you two." Ironhide grumbled.  
"Don't want to watch Ironhide?" Jazz teased playfully.  
"No I don't," he said simply.

"I should mingle some more, it won't do for the Prime to show favoritism."  
"Course not even for some of his academy mates." Ratchet agreed.  
"Sadly no and you should get less attention before they think it's my influence that puts you where your skill will eventually."  
"I suppose." The older mech smirked.  
"have fun Optimus."

He wandered about the crowd a while longer stopping here or there to talk with some other Cybertronian.

Elita-1 dropped hotrod off with the other sparklings in the youth sector and joined a few other femmes. Chromia and Moonracer were happy to greet her into the little circle.

"Elita, how ya holding up darlin." Chromia asked handing her some energon.  
"I'm fine Chromia really." She smiled. "Hotrod is doing really well."  
"That's good Elita." Firestar a reddish femme said with a smile she had five young of her own and had even offered once to give one to Elita, knowing both of her mates would rather have sparklings after their own circuits.  
"As long as everyone's doing well." Chromia smiled, unlike most of the others of their little group she was a simple femme born of two members of the defense force she was even one of them herself and a great shot. As well as snagging a mech like Ironhide whom was also high up in the defense force as one of the High Guard and one of the finest medical CPUs on the planet.

"Well I believe we've left our poor mechs alone long enough." Moonracer smiled.  
"Yes we probably have." Elita smiled and they entered the dome to once more join their respective mates.

The moons rose unseen as the children of Primus welcomed another turn of peace in their golden age.


	3. Chapter 3

AN

Beginning of the end Part 3

"Hotrod pay attention." Optimus said slightly exasperated. He was supposed to be teaching him about the matrix and their people but the youngling kept getting distracted by the cube. Blue eyes fastened on the older mech but it was clear there would not be any more lessons today.

"I should dump you off on Megatron or something." He muttered.

"I'm listening." The youngling insisted. He preferred history lessons to arm's lessons any day.

"Just not to me." He said simply. He knew that it was hard to learn all of this as a youngling he had learned it all from his progenitor and had not really under stood it all until the Matrix was in his possession.

"Why do I need to learn now? You're still gonna be Prime forever." The youngling asked

"Not forever Hotrod nothing is forever." He told his progeny. "Everything ends someday "

"It does?" he looked slightly confused, and his progenitor smiled, to the young forever was the blink of an eye.

"Yes it does." He sighed.

"Oh." Young blue optics shone brightly.

0000000000000

The golden age had lasted for centuries, only a blink of an eye really for the planet itself and it's inhabitants. They did not forget though the work it took to get to where they were now. The council along with the ruling force of the Lord High Protector and the Prime had to work together to keep the people happy and the planet well.

The youth sectors were filled with the young learning and growing. Many already knew what they would do once they reached adulthood. Those who did not were learning many different things.

The academy stood in all of it's glory as the institution for mechs and femmes alike who wanted to make something of themselves. At the moment a single black mech strode through halls he had not been in for centuries approaching the headmaster's office at a calm pace.

Once they came to the door it opened and the mech greeted him Sitting by the desk were two mechs who had only a short time left before they graduated. Gold and a red they looked like carbon copies of one another.

"Ironhide, I am sorry to ask you here under such circumstances."

"It's fine Headmaster should I even ask what my progeny have been up to?"

"Vandalism."

`"It was not vandalism." Sideswipe, the younger red one burst out.

"You destroyed school property."

"It wasn't us it was shrapnel." Sunstreaker grumbled.

"Shrapnel?"

"Another student he was found in the same vicinity."

"Then why isn't he here?"

"He is one of the students brought in by a sponsor, "

"Bring him in anyway, do you actually have any witnesses that it was them?"

"There's one." A voice said quietly from the doorway behind Ironhide who looked back to see a grayish mech who could have been a clone of Prowl except for the colors. He'd never seen the youngest of Jazz and Prow's three before and was surprised he seemed kind of meek.

"Bluestreak. You should be in class." The headmaster told the younger mech who shook his head.

"I know but I heard about the twins getting in trouble and well they weren't there when it happened we were at the gun range."

The twins nodded. "Like we said before."

"You didn't mention anyone was with you."

"Yeah like you would have believed us." Sunstreaker growled. "Thanks Blue."

"You're welcome." He smiled.

"Well headmaster you should call this shrapnel in then and ask what is going on." Ironhide said as his progeny came to his side.

A few minutes later a black and dark purple mech came in he had an odd yellow pattern on his back.

"Shrapnel."  
"Yes sir?"

"Were you in the vicinity of the crystal falls an orn ago?"

"No sir."

"Do you have any one to agree to that?"

"No."

"You will clean the mess up."

"Yes sir." He said with out arguing, there was no proof he had done it but obviously the twins had been let off the hook.

"The three of you come with me." Ironhide growled as the other two left.

The small group headed for the twin's room in the academy barracks.

"you two go ahead I want a word with Bluestreak. "

"Yes sir." The twins vanished into their room.

"What is it sir?" the gray mech asked nervous that the older one wanted to speak with him.

"Bluestreak, you are a very promising young mech for the Defense Force."

"Yes sir, I wish to go to the Defense Force academy in Praxus." He said trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"I see, don't let anything interfere with your choices Bluestreak it is your life."

"yes sir."

"And be careful with those two they are trouble."

"I know sir." He said softly. "I won't make any bonds until after I get into the defense force I've already decided that."

"Good." He nodded and left leaving the younglings to themselves.

Sideswipe pulled Bluestreak in as soon as the door opened smiling.

"Thanks Blue you're the best we would be in deep slag if it wasn't for you."

"But I was telling the truth you guys wouldn't have had time to rig that mess."

"And we did not that was way to sloppy for one of my pranks." Sideswipe grinned.

"Yeah it was." He let himself be pulled between the two mech's who both held him tightly.

"So you wont do anything serious until you graduate the defense academy huh?"

"I told you that before sunny."

"Yeah I know." The gold mech smiled.

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The city was like a shining jewel in the velvety night of Cybertron. Looking proudly on the city the lord high protector knew what had been done to keep the peace here for centuries. Its people were proud of it and themselves for their work.

Unknown to many a single being watched all of this with disdain in his spark, there was so much more that the Allspark could be used for and he would see to it that his people were the greatest in the universe. With him in the lead of course or at least pulling the strings. After all it would not do for a slums born Mech to lead where one sparked for the job could stand in the lead.

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End file.
